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Iris Mary Birtwistle (29 May 1918 – 22 June 2006; also known as Lilla and IM Birtwistle) was an English lyric poet and gallery owner〔(Obituary ), Magdalen Evans, ''The Independent'', 29 June 2006〕〔(Obituary ), Peter Stanford, ''The Guardian'', 23 June 2006〕 who nurtured young artists despite eventually losing her sight.〔(Obituary ), ''The Times'', 23 June 2006〕 == Life & career == Born near Blackburn, Lancashire on 29 May 1918, second of the eight children of a cotton-mill owner.〔(Obituary ), Peter Stanford, ''The Guardian'', 23 June 2006〕 Her brother Col. Michael Albert Astley Birtwistle was a High Sheriff of Lancashire, and she was a cousin of race horse trainer Monica Dickenson (née Birtwistle, the mother of Michael W. Dickinson). She was educated at the Convent of the Holy Child Jesus, Mayfield, Sussex, and the Reimann School of Art〔"The Reimann School: A Design Diaspora" Yasuku Suga, Artmonsky Arts (2014) ISBN 978-0-9573-8753-9〕 in London. During the Second World War, she enlisted as an officer in the Wrens.〔(Obituary ), Peter Stanford, ''The Guardian'', 23 June 2006〕 Throughout her life her she wrote poetry, which in the 40s, 50s and 60s appeared in many of the major journals and other well known publications, including: Poetry Review, The New English Weekly, The Fortnightly, The Spectator, The Tablet and The Times Literary Supplement. She was admired by leading writers of her day such as T. S. Eliot, Robert Graves, and Muriel Spark (who credited Birtwistle with her conversion to Catholicism).〔Muriel Spark, The Biography, Martin Stannard, W.W. Norton & Co, (2009) p. 150 ISBN 978-0-2978-5778-5〕 In the 50s she adopted three sons and settled in Walberswick, Suffolk, where she opened the first of her unique art galleries. The novelist, Jennifer Lash (aka Jinni Fiennes) lived with her there for a while, and was introduced to her husband Mark Fiennes by Birtwistle.〔(Obituary ), Peter Stanford, ''The Guardian'', 23 June 2006〕 There Birwistle championed the Royal Academicians Mary Potter, Mary Newcomb, Jeffrey Camp and Philip Sutton.〔(Obituary ), Magdalen Evans, ''The Independent'', 29 June 2006〕 She also nurtured young talent, and sold early work of a young David Hockney.〔(Obituary ), ''The Times'', 23 June 2006〕 In the late 60's and early 70's she had a small gallery in Aldeburgh.〔Time and Concord: Aldeburgh Festival Recollections, Wake-Walker, Jenni, Autograph (1997) ISBN 978-0-9523-2651-9〕 Although she continued to write poetry all her life, from the 60s onwards being increasingly absorbed by her family and her galleries she wrote less and less. Her last poem was written in 1999 to celebrate the marriage of her friend the singer Nick Cave to the model Susie Bick.〔When Leaf and Note are Gone, I. M. Birtwistle, A M Kirby (2008) ISBN 978-0-9560-6580-3〕 In the 1970s she moved to Burnham Deepdale Norfolk where she opened the last of her successful, if eccentric, galleries, ''Deepdale Exhibitions''. This she ran until her death despite increasing loss of sight from hereditary glaucoma, which rendered her blind for the last 15 years of her life. Although a collection of her work had been completed before her death, ''When Leaf and Note are Gone'' was finally published posthumously by Buff Press in 2008, edited by the poets Anne Stewart and Angela Kirby (Birtwistle’s youngest sister). The introduction was by the writer and poet Derek Stanford. Birtwistle remained a devout Roman Catholic all her life〔Why I Am Still a Catholic: Essays in Faith and Perseverance, Peter Stanford, Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd (2005) ISBN 978-0-8264-8577-9〕〔Teach Yourself Catholicism, Peter Stanford, Teach Yourself (2008) ISBN 978-0-3409-6880-2〕 and died on 20 June 2006, aged 86. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Iris Birtwistle」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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